Rosemary Clooney (born 23 May 1928 in Maysville, Kentucky, USA – 29 June 20… Read Full Bio ↴Rosemary Clooney (born 23 May 1928 in Maysville, Kentucky, USA – 29 June 2002) was an American singer and actress.

Clooney's first recordings, in May 1946, were for Columbia Records. She sang with Tony Pastor's big band. Clooney continued working with the Pastor band until 1949, making her last recording with the band in May of that year and her first as a solo artist a month later, still for Columbia.

She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the novelty hit Come On-a My House written by William Saroyan and his cousin Ross Bagdasarian (better known as David Seville, the father figure of Alvin and the Chipmunks), which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me" (a cover version of the Italian song Ba-Ba-Baciami Piccina by Alberto Rabagliati), "Mambo Italiano", "Tenderly", "Half as Much", "Hey There" and "This Ole House", although she had success as a jazz vocalist. Clooney's career languished in the 1960s, partly due to problems related to depression and drug addiction, but revived in 1977, when her White Christmas co-star Bing Crosby asked her to appear with him at a show marking his 50th anniversary in show business. She continued recording until her death in 2002. She was the aunt of Academy Award winning actor George Clooney; mother-in-law of singer Debby Boone; and sister to former television personality Nick Clooney. She was the ex-wife of Jose Ferrer; mother of actor Miguel Ferrer

Clooney was diagnosed with lung cancer at the end of 2001. Around this time, she gave her last concert, in Hawaii, backed by the Honolulu Symphony Pops; her last song was "God Bless America".

Hey Baby
Rosemary Clooney Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hey baby
I've got some talk for you
You'll find sweet thing with a good look
As I've got some talk for

Hey baby
You're just the type to bring
Out my attributes and my good looks

My daily ev'rything

Just take a night like this
Or any night at all
It's a good night for me to call

A lovely night of bliss
On any cloud of white
Just sittin' and watching
The blues go by

Hey baby
What can the number be
That makes your telephone ring
I've got some talk for you

Just take a night like this
Or any night at all
It's a good night for me to call

A lovely night of bliss
On any cloud of white
Just sittin' and watching
The blues go by

Hey baby
What can the number be
That makes your telephone ring
I've got some talk-
Hey baby,
C'mon an' talk to me
C'mon baby, don't be mean
Yes, baby-

Yes, baby-
Yeah!

Overall Meaning

The song, Hey Baby by Rosemary Clooney, is a flirty and playful conversation between a woman and a man. The woman is expressing her interest and attraction to the man, encouraging him to engage in conversation with her. She remarks on his good looks and attributes that bring out the best in her. The lyrics suggest that any night is a good night to call and spend time with someone special. The description of sitting on a white cloud and watching the blues go by, implies a dreamlike state of romance and escape. The repetition of “hey baby” throughout the lyrics reinforces the flirtatious tone and adds a playful element to the conversation.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey baby
Opening line to catch attention

I've got some talk for you
I have something to say to you

You'll find sweet thing with a good look
You'll see I'm attractive and charming

As I've got some talk for
Since I have important things to discuss

Hey baby
Repetition for emphasis

You're just the type to bring
You have qualities that complement mine

Out my attributes and my good looks
You bring out the best in me

My daily ev'rything
You're the one I want to wake up to every day

Just take a night like this
This moment is perfect for us

Or any night at all
Any moment with you is special

It's a good night for me to call
The timing is right for me to reach out